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An update has been made to the European Paper Recycling Council’s (EPRC) “Assessment of Printed Product Recyclability”.
This Scorecard for the Removability of Adhesive Applications now includes an annex for applications where there is sufficient experience and confidence that they will deliver good results on removability.

Non-water-soluble or non-dispersible hot melt adhesives are now exempted from testing under certain conditions. If an adhesive application does not conform to with the conditions in this annex, no conclusion can be made about its removability.

Note to editor: The European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC) was set up as an industry self-initiative in November 2000 to monitor progress towards meeting the paper recycling targets set out in the 2000 European Declaration on Paper Recycling. Since then the commitments in the Declaration are renewed every five years. In 2017 the EPRC committed itself to meeting and maintaining both a voluntary recycling rate target of 74% in the EU27 plus Switzerland and Norway by 2020 as well as qualitative targets in areas such as waste prevention, ecodesign and research and development. In 2017, Members of the ERPC are ACE, CEPI, CITPA, EMFA, ETS, FEPE, INGEDE and INTERGRAF. Supporters are Afera, EuPIA, FINAT and RadTECH Europe. FEICA, the Association of the European Adhesive and Sealant Industry also recently joined the EPRC as a supporter. DG Environment and DG Grow of the European Commission are permanent observers to the EPRC.

The EU has today released a report related to a Trade Barrier Regulation ("TBR") investigation launched following a complaint lodged by CEPI, the European association representing the paper industry. The report upheld the complaint finding that the measures imposed by Turkey on the imports of certain varieties of paper such as office paper, books, envelopes and paper used for direct mail marketing (otherwise known as uncoated wood free (“UWF”) paper) from the EU were inconsistent with both WTO and the EU–Turkey Customs Union rules.

"CEPI takes pride in its strong commitment to free trade with its partners. The decision by the Turkish authorities to remove these unfair measures is applaudable; however this issue should never have been escalated in the first place. It is our expectation that the Turkish authorities stand by their obligations under the EU-Turkey Customs Union Agreement in the future” says Sylvain Lhôte, Director General at CEPI.

In advance of the Commission’s publication of the report Turkey removed the unfair trade measures. With this in mind, the EU has decided not to pursue the matter further. The industry will however remain vigilant that similar measures do not hinder the free flow of trade between the EU and Turkey in the future, particularly in light of the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union Agreement.

Background to the trade complaint:
Following an inconclusive safeguard investigation on UWF imports in 2014-2015, Turkey extended in 2016 an existing import licensing system which targeted €150 million of EU exports of UWF paper products.The Turkish non-automatic import licensing system with regard to UWF paper was based on an arbitrary price threshold and created a significant and unfair obstacle to EU-Turkey trade. The contested system posed a clear violation of WTO and the EU-Turkey Customs Union Agreement. The European paper industry already exports 22% of its produce outside the EU and will continue to remain an advocate for free trade and take a firm stance where this is put at risk.

The European paper industry produces from wood a multitude of value-added products such as paper, carboard and other biobased materials and uses its residues for bioenergy.

With today’s vote the EU has sought to recognise the value of sourcing wood sustainably and preventing subsidies that distort markets and encourage the burning of wood for megawatts.

“The European Parliament realises that there is more value to the circular bioeconomy than turning wood into megawatts” says Sylvain Lhôte, Director General of the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI).

MEPs have moved in favour of building upon existing sustainable forest management practices in Europe, the so-called “risk-based approach” rather than rendering the regulatory context more complex. At the same time ensuring that the availability of wood is taken into consideration is also a step in the right direction.

They have also sent a strong signal that the recovery of energy from waste must be strictly guided by the waste hierarchy and that the burning of paper-based material, which can be collected seperately and recycled, should be avoided.

The challenge is now in the hands of the Council to ensure that wood is used sustainably and that REDII remains consistent with the EU’s own goals of making the circular bioeconomy a reality in Europe.

Note to editor:
Guaranteeing that wood is sourced from sustainably managed forests and championing a high-performing recycling chain will be critical to securing the quantity and quality of the raw materials the industry uses as it transitions towards the low-carbon circular bioeconomy. Read more on how we can achieve this in the revised version of our ‘Investment Roadmap’.

Gl The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations’ (ICFPA) launched its 2017 Sustainability Progress Report. It is the sixth biennial report highlighting ICFPA members’ progress on the sustainability commitments agreed upon in the 2006 CEO Leadership Statement on Sustainability.

“We are proud to announce our global industry’s continuous progress, which represents our commitment to social and environmental aspects associated with forest management and the manufacture of forest-based products,” said ICFPA President Jane Molony. “We look forward to continuing to supply the growing global demand for sustainable products, including fuel, fiber and forest products, while moving towards a greener economy.”

The global sustainability performance of the forest product industry is improving, with all aggregate indicators for reporting associations showing progress from their respective baseline years:

- Since 2004/2005, ICFPA members reduced their greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 16%, and increased the share of bio-energy in the fuel mix by 10.3 percentage points.

- The total sustainable forest management-certified area used to supply the global industry reached 54% in 2015, up from just 12% in 2000. - The global paper recycling rate reached 58.9% in 2015 – a 12.4 percentage point increase from 2000.

- Members improved their onsite energy intensity by 1.1% since the 2004/2005; reduced their SO2 emissions by 48% from 2004/2006; and reduced their use of process water by 7.2% since 2004/2005.

ICFPA members that contributed to the 2017 Sustainability Progress Report are the Australian Forest Products Association, the American Forest & Paper Association, the Confederation of European Paper Industries, Corporación Chilena de la Madera, the Forest Products Association of Canada, the Brazilian Tree Industry – Ibá, the Japan Paper Association, the New Zealand Forest Owners Association, and the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa. The ICFPA represents 19 pulp, paper, wood and fiber-based associations that encompass 36 countries, including many of the top pulp, paper and wood producers around the world.

For more information about the sustainability of the global forest and paper industry, visit www.icfpa.org.

The 19th edition of European Paper Week will mark CEPI’s 25th anniversary and takes place in the background of industry’s transformation towards a low-carbon, circular bioeconomy. As part of this year’s theme, attendees are invited to look forward and ‘Sense the Future’ by experiencing through the five senses the innovative, bio-based potential of the industry.

“Industry transformation is gaining pace. This year’s European Paper Week provides an occasion to look forward at how we can, as the leading renewable and recyclable material industry, unleash the full potential of a circular bioeconomy,” says Sylvain Lhôte, Director General at the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI).

As part of the industry’s ambition to lead Europe’s bioeconomy transformation, this year’s event will play host to the inaugural Europe-only edition of the Blue Sky Young Researchers and Innovation Awards, where eight accomplished researchers will make the case for their industry-changing ideas.

Building on this year’s theme, attendees are also invited to experience first-hand industry’s cutting-edge potential at a novel innovation expo. The expo will exhibit multiple, innovative paper-based products that can be used for purposes as diverse as human cell cultivation, aircraft structures and renewable, bio-based alternatives to plastic bottles.

This year’s High-level session will welcome Gunter Pauli, author of The Blue Economy, a world-renowned report which outlines how innovations inspired by nature’s own renewable cycles can build a sustainable economy from the ground up. This session also challenges attendees to think ‘outside the box’ and will strike a chord on how the European Commission’s revised EU Bioeconomy Strategy can help speed up the deployment of innovation from lab to market.

Looking towards the future, the industry will continue to put its words into action, as outlined in the revised version of its 2050 'Investment Roadmap' by building on the success of its pioneering ‘Roots and Beyond’ project to demonstrate, in practice, the transformative investments taking place across the industry. CEPI also intends to be at the forefront of the discussion on the next EU research and development programme to guarantee funding for the bioeconomy projects that can propel industry innovation to the next level.

Note to editor:
CEPI is the pan-European association representing the forest fibre and paper industry. Through its 18 national associations CEPI gathers 495 companies operating more than 900 pulp and paper mills across Europe producing paper, cardboard, pulp and other bio-based products. CEPI represents 22% of world production, €81 billion of annual turnover to the European economy and directly employs over 175,000 people.

From forest fibre technology to advance paper design the industry currently invests 3.5 billion annually and is a leader of the low carbon circular bioeconomy transition. CEPI’s 2050 ‘Investment Roadmap’ outlines the industry’s vision to advance this transformation in Europe through value creation and decarbonisation.

For press-related enquiries please contact Ben Kennard, CEPI Press Manager at b.kennard@cepi.org or by phone at (+32) 487 39 21 82. Full information on European Paper Week can be consulted on our website here.

The European paper industry takes a positive stance on the European Commission’s Staff Working Document on the review of the 2012 Bioeconomy Strategy.

“To achieve Europe’s bioeconomy and climate change agenda, it is essential that the EU lays down the conditions to spur the investments which shift Europe away from a ‘fossil-addicted’ economy. The European forest fibre and paper industry stands ready to captain this transformation but the EU’s future Bioeconomy Strategy must take a holistic approach and cease treating bioeconomy dossiers as separate and distinct” says Sylvain Lhôte, Director General of the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI).

The European paper industry is, at its core, an entirely bio-based industry producing the only mainstream material that is both renewable and recyclable. As part of its 2050 ‘Investment Roadmap’ to lead Europe’s bioeconomy transition, the industry foresees bringing 25 bn EUR of added value to the EU economy with pulp and paper-based novel bio products, while massively cutting carbon emissions. This transformation would require an estimated 44 bn EUR of additional investment in Europe to deploy game-changing technologies for new paper-based products and for establishing biorefineries that convert side-streams into advanced biochemicals.

The European Commission has recognised the importance of putting in place ‘a stable regulatory environment’ to support bioeconomy investments and the need to address the incoherence between the Action Plan and the Strategy. The Staff Working Document also mentions the need to better link the bioeconomy strategy with other policies, in particular the Circular Economy, which is both symbiotic and multiplies the benefits of the bioeconomy and mitigates climate change. At the same time, the Action Plan itself needs to be more specific, time bound, measurable and aligned with a reviewed Strategy.

The European paper industry believes that the time is ripe to accelerate the transition towards a low-carbon and circular bioeconomy. Cutting-edge initiatives like the flagship Biobased Industry Joint Undertaking should be prolonged and aligned with the new Strategy. Incentivising investments will also be crucial to ensuring Europe’s bioeconomy transition is put into full gear and builds on its ‘bioeconomy competitive advantage’.

Note to editor:
The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) is the pan-European association representing the forest fibre and paper industry. From forest fibre technology to advance paper design the industry currently invests 3.5 billion annually and is a leader of the low carbon circular bioeconomy transition. CEPI’s 2050 ‘Investment Roadmap’ outlines the industry’s vision to advance this transformation in Europe through value creation and decarbonisation. The full innovative bio-based potential of the industry will be on full display at European Paper Week, November 28-30 to which journalists and EU officials can attend free of charge.

For more information, please contact Bernard de Galembert, Bioeconomy and Innovation Director at b.degalembert@cepi.org or by phone at (+32) 2627 49 27

The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) informed the European Commission on 13 November of its intention to take over the PEFCR (Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules) prepared under a larger EU pilot on environmental footprints.

“The PEFCR project promised to deliver a clear, simplified and workable method for environmental footprinting that our value chain could effectively use and rely upon. After more than four year’s work, the European Commission body in charge of the project is far from this objective. CEPI will now take the necessary measures to conclude the project and design a tool that is meaningful for business and workable for SMEs,” says Sylvain Lhôte, Director General at CEPI.

Initiated in 2013, the Intermediate Paper Pilot was meant to deliver a methodology for environmental footprinting of intermediate paper in a clear and workable format for all users. It was considered, at that time, that the workability of future PEF rules was imperative for the paper value chain, particularly SMEs. Led by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, however, the project has since been turned into an overly academic tool and the process continuously delayed.

The industry recognises the value of establishing a reference tool for communicating the environmental performance of paper products to customers and consumers. The industry has therefore decided to take back the lead from the European Commission and revise the PEFCR. In order to do so, CEPI has outlined a number of key steps in a letter sent to the Commission’s environment department here. The process would lead to developing free software for calculating the environmental footprint of intermediate paper, which could be extended by the printing and paper converting associations to a tool for final paper products. CEPI believes these steps are achievable over the 2018 – 2019 period.

Note to editor:

CEPI is the pan-European association representing the forest fibre and paper industry. Through its 18 national associations CEPI gathers 495 companies operating more than 900 pulp and paper mills across Europe producing paper, pulp, cardboard, tissue and other bio-based products. CEPI represents 22% of world production, €81 billion of annual turnover to the European economy and directly employs over 175,000 people.

For more information, please contact Jori Ringman, Deputy Director General at j.ringman@cepi.org or by phone at (+32) 478 25 50 70

Following today’s inter-institutional political agreement on the Emissions Trading System (ETS) the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) is broadly encouraged by improvements in the regulation for the 2021-2030 period.

“The conclusion of the ETS negotiations now restores the regulatory predictability needed for advancing industrial transformation. Investments in low-carbon technologies are core to what we stand for as an industry. A more stable regime and tools such as the ETS Innovation Fund will be crucial in accelerating the industry's transition towards a low-carbon circular bioeconomy” says Sylvain Lhôte, Director General of CEPI.

The final compromise text improves significantly the scheme with a more robust stability in carbon leakage provisions and firmer predictability in reviewing the benchmark values. The Innovation Fund will also act as a crucial mechanism in advancing the breakthrough technologies that will spur the industry’s low-carbon transition.

Nonetheless, several aspects of the text are lacking and these would need to be resolved. For instance, the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) was significantly amended without any prior assessment of its impact on “industrial competitiveness and the risk of carbon leakage”, even though this was an explicit requirement when amending the MSR decision. Likewise, no solution was found to effectively ensure compensation for indirect costs for exposed energy intensive installations. Finally, while the risk of a shortfall in free credits has been mitigated it has not been structurally eradicated thereby causing unnecessary regulatory risks. The impact of all of the above-mentioned aspects will become more evident by 2021, when all implementing legislation will be finalised. It is therefore imperative to swiftly finalise the full regulatory landscape by adopting all the implementing acts well ahead of 2021.

Note to editor:

Ensuring that the ETS also functions as a pro-investment tool is a core component of the European paper industries ‘2050 Investment Roadmap’. Check out our ‘Alignment matrix’ here to see how the ETS can provide a platform for catalysing and enabling industry transformation in Europe.

For more information, please contact Nicola Rega, Climate Change and Energy Director at n.rega@cepi.org or by phone at (+32) 485 40 34 12

The Environment (ENVI) committee has understood the importance of better aligning the text with Circular Economy principles, energy efficiency standards and sustainable forest management practices. It nonetheless seriously jeopardises Europe’s bioeconomy by encouraging the mass conversion to biomass by low-efficiency coal power plants.

“Despite significant technical improvements the ENVI committee vote misses the big picture and may cause an unsustainable dash for biomass” says Sylvain Lhôte, Director General of the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI). “The European bioeconomy deserves much better than turning wood into megawatts. We remain however confident that the text can be rebalanced at plenary”.

CEPI strongly holds the view that forest biomass should be both sustainably sourced and efficiently used in order to effectively contribute to Europe´s renewable energy and climate change targets.

Favini, a leading global producer of packaging for the luxury and fashion industries, topped the Innovative Technologies and R&D category for its Remake project, a ground-breaking process of using recycled leather to produce paper. Aspapel, the Spanish pulp & paper association headed up the Information and Education category with its creative ‘Blue Birdies’ project targeted towards raising awareness on the separate collection of paper across municipalities in Spain.

“Today’s winners are the pioneers that are paving the way the European paper recycling value chain is advancing paper recycling to the next level” says Lisa Kretschmann, Chairperson of the EPRC

“Whether it be inventive companies or municipalities willing to ‘step outside the box’, their role is crucial in helping the value chain reach its 74% recycling rate by 2020.” says Ulrich Leberle, Secretary of the EPRC/Raw Materials Director at CEPI

These two projects stood out from the crowd in terms of their originality, innovativeness, measured achievement and ability to be reproduced across Europe. Other commended entries which also scored highly include:

Learn more on how the EPRC is improving best practices in paper recycling and helping Europe reach its 74% paper recycling rate on the dedicated website here. Full information on all entries can be consulted here.

For more information, please contact Ulrich Leberle, Secretary of the EPRC/Raw Materials Director at CEPI by email u.leberle@cepi.org or by phone on (+32) 262 7 49 23.